John Roberts on the Infield Fly Rule

[Redneck Socialist]

Well, not really, but it's still pretty funny.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/offbase/050914

"Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire. ... And I will remember that's it's my job to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat."
-- Judge John Roberts, Supreme Court nominee, during his opening statement at his confirmation hearing

Judge John Roberts interprets the infield-fly rule...

"Baseball rule 2.00 specifies that when a batter hits a fair fly ball that can be caught by an infielder with 'ordinary effort' when first and second base are occupied or first, second and third base are occupied, and with less than two out, the batter shall be called out and all runners advance at their own risk. There are, however, several problems with the manner in which umpires have applied their rulings on the infield fly over the years.

"Most obviously, how is an umpire to determine 'ordinary effort'? Is it a set standard that applies to all major-league infielders across the board? For that to be the case, we must assume that all infielders enjoy equal movement and speed of foot, an assumption that is erroneous on its face, as any fan could tell you after observing San Diego shortstop Khalil Greene and Baltimore first baseman Walter Young for as little as one inning. There is no constitutional guarantee of talent, nor can we legislate it into existence no matter how hard we try. Some of us (such as the aforementioned Greene) simply are blessed with apparently unlimited range, while others (such as Young) are fat slobs who can't even bend down to tie their shoes...

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